The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : High Court directs officials to protect ‘gramanatham' lands

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Tuesday, Jun 21, 2011
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

High Court directs officials to protect ‘gramanatham' lands

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Tamil Nadu Government and revenue officials to strictly protect ‘Gramanatham' lands from being misused, particularly for commercial purposes.

In its judgment allowing an appeal by the Chennai Corporation, a Division Bench comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and M.Venugopal said the practice of misusing the gramanatham lands should be curtailed immediately to protect common village lands for the welfare of the public in general.

Earlier, K.Narasa Reddy of a construction company, by virtue of a Power of Attorney deed executed by South India Corporation Agencies Ltd in his favour, entered into a joint venture for constructing a stilt plus four floors consisting of 256 dwelling units at Reddy Street, Virugambakkam here.

He filed a writ petition seeking to quash an order of the Chennai Corporation Commissioner of April 2007, rejecting his request seeking building permit regarding the construction and consequently directing the corporation to issue the permit in the light of the planning permit of July 2006 issued by CMDA. The Commissioner rejected the application seeking building permit on the ground that a portion of the land had been classified as ‘Gramanatham.'

A single Judge in August 2007 allowed the petition. Hence, the present appeal.

The Bench said Mr.Reddy had made the construction not for his own occupation, but only for commercial purpose.

The Corporation itself had stated that patta had erroneously been issued in respect of the property in question and that the appellants had sent a letter to the District Collector to cancel the patta.

Further, Mr.Reddy had constructed the building without obtaining the Corporation permission. Therefore, a notice had already been issued to him.

The Bench set aside the single Judge's order.

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